Pontifications: Rerunning the KC-X campaign as Technically Acceptable, Lowest Price process

Part 5 in a Series: the Boeing perspective in the last KC-X campaign Feb. 14, 2022, © Leeham News: After the Government Accountability Office (GAO) upheld Boeing’s protest over the US Air Force contract award to Northrop Grumman-EADS,… Read More

Pontifications: “The mother of the last pilot on the 707 tanker hasn’t been born yet”

Part 3 of the Boeing focus for the USAF Aerial Refueling Tanker Jan. 31, 2022, © Leeham News: Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Boeing offered the US Air Force a lease deal for 100… Read More

Pontifications: A retrospective of the KC-X refueling tanker competition from Boeing’s perspective

Part 2 of the Boeing focus for the USAF Aerial Refueling Tanker Jan. 24, 2022, © Leeham News: Jim Albaugh was president of Boeing Integrated Defense System (IDS), now known as Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) during… Read More

Pontifications: Assessing the advantages Boeing, Lockheed Martin-Airbus have in KC-Y tanker competition

 Fourth in a Series Jan. 3, 2022, © Leeham News: As the US Air Forces gears up to solicit bids for its KC-Y aerial refueling “bridge tanker” competition, Boeing is now the incumbent tanker supplier. Having won the… Read More

Pontifications: EADS went ahead with tanker bid despite long odds against winning

Third in a Series Dec. 20, 2021, © Leeham News: When EADS, then the name of the parent of Airbus, decided to go it alone and bid for the US Air Force contract for the KC-X aerial refueling… Read More

Pontifications: Retrospective of KC-X tanker competition

The first in a series. By Scott Hamilton Dec. 6, 2021, © Leeham News: The US Air Force began the process this year to procure the KC-Y aerial refueling tanker. Originally, this was to follow the KC-X (awarded… Read More

Tanker wars may be back

Subscription Required Introduction Dec. 10, 2018, © Leeham News: The tanker wars may be back. Airbus has teamed with Lockheed Martin to offer the Airbus A330-200MRTT to the Pentagon in a for-hire business model. The agreement also provides… Read More

Boeing eyes international sales with KC-46A deliveries near

Part 2. LNC visited the Boeing KC-46A Everett Modification Center last month. Part 1 appears here. July 5, 2018, © Leeham News: Boeing’s contract with the US Air Force for three dozen KC-46A tankers is but the tip… Read More

One Boeing, lessons learned from P-8, KC-767 find their way in KC-46A

Part 1. Part 2 will appear July 5. July 3, 2018, © Leeham News: Boeing’s development of the KC-46A aerial refueling tanker for the US Air Force is behind schedule and over budget, but production is underway and… Read More

Pontifications: Honoring John McCain

May 28, 2018, © Leeham News: Today is Memorial Day in the USA, the holiday which honors US Armed Forces who died in active military service. It seems fitting today to think about US Sen. John McCain (R-AZ),… Read More